Adjustable head band



June 20, 1967 w. J. DONEGAN ADJUSTABLE HEAD BAND Filed Oct. 23, 1965INVENTOR. DWI/127m J image/1 BYZ 4. W A frarmgy.

United States Patent 3,325,824 ADJUSTABLE HEAD BAND William J. Donegan,Kansas City, Mo., assignor t0 Donegau Optical 01., Inc, Kansas City,Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed (Pct. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 503,310 3Claims. (Cl. 2-8) This invention relates to new and useful improvementsin head bands, and has particular reference to head bands of the typecommonly used in mounting magnifying viewers, welding masks, and thelike on the users heads.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of a headband having novel means for adjusting it to the size of each individualusers head, and for clamping it as tightly as may be desired about thehead, in order to support the weight of whatever apparatus may besupported by said head band.

Another object is the provision of a head band of the characterdescribed having a single control member constituting a rotatable knob,and operable both to adjust the circumference of the head band, and alsoto hold it firmly but releasably at any desired position in itsadjustment.

Other objects are simplicity and economy of construction, efiiciency anddependability of operation, and adaptability for use with head bandsutilized for many different purposes.

With these objects in view, as well as other objects which will appearin the course of the specification, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a binocular magnifier including anadjustable head band embodying the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the parts as shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional View taken on line IIIIIIof FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line IVIV of FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary rear elevational View of the head band, showingthe control knob and related parts thereof, and

FIG. 6 is a reduced fragmentary sectional View taken on line VI-VI ofFIG. 3, the plane of said section being curved with the horizontalcontour of the head band.

Like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout the severalviews, and the numeral 2 applies generally to the head band forming thesubject matter of this invention, said head band comprising a fiat strap4 of flexible material such as plastic, the respective end portions 6and 8 thereof being telescoped slidably into the opposite ends of asleeve 10 of fiat rectangular cross-sectional contour, and beingdisposed in overlapping relation in said sleeve. Said sleeve is alsoformed of a flexible material. The end portions 6 and 8 of the strap aresecured adjustably in sleeve 10 by means which will presently bedescribed. The head band is adapted to be worn horizontally about apersons head substantially at forehead level, and the flexibility of thestrap and sleeve permit them to conform readily to the contour of thehead.

Purely as an example of apparatus which may be carried by the head hand,there is illustrated an eye shade member 12 adapted to be disposed inthe line of sight of the wearer, there being mounted in the front wallthereof a lens holder 14 in which are fixed a pair of magnifying lenses16. The eye shade is provided with a pair of rearwardly extending templepieces 18 which are pivoted respectively to the strap 4 at oppositesides of the wearers head, as by friction bolts 20, whereby the eyeshade may be raised or lowered as desired. It will be apparent, however,

that many other types of apparatus, such as welders masks, physicianscircular mirrors, and the like, could also be mounted on the head band.

A pair of longitudinally elongated slots 22 and 24 are formedrespectively in end portions 6 and 8 of strap 4, within sleeve 10. Theupper edge of slot 22 is toothed as at 26 to form a straight gear rack,said teeth being reinforced by a thin, flexible metal plate 28 laid flatagainst end strap portion 6 and secured by fiat head rivets 30, saidplate having teeth corresponding to and overlying teeth 26. Similarly,the lower edge of slot 24 is toothed as at 32 to form a straight gearrack, and said teeth are reinforced by a flexible metal plate 34 securedto end strap portion 8 by rivets 36.

A toothed pinion 38 extends horizontally through strap slots 22 and 24,so as to mesh with racks 26 and 32 respectively at its top and bottom.Rigidly aflixed to the forward end of said pinion, concentricallytherewith, is a fiat, circular plate 40 of greater diameter than saidpinion, said plate abutting the forward surface of end strap section 6,but within sleeve 19. A short square or otherwise non-circular shaft 42is disposed axially of pinion 38, being engaged non-rotatably in acorrespondingly shaped socket 44 formed in said pinion, and securedtherein by a screw 46 inserted from the forward side of the pinion. Saidshaft extends rearwardly through a hole 48 formed in the rear wall ofsleeve 10, said hole being large enough to permit rotation of said shafttherein. The parts thus far described may 'be assembled by firstinserting strap 4 through sleeve 10, then overlapping end portions 6 and8 thereof, and inserting pinion 38, then sliding the sleeve over theoverlapping end portions 6 and 8 and finally inserting shaft 42 throughsleeve hole 48 into pinion socket 44 and inserting screw 46, the forwardwall of the sleeve being provided with an access hole 50 l for admittingsaid screw.

. a central hole Mounted on the portion of shaft 42 extending outwardlyto the rear of sleeve 10 are, successively, an anchor plate 52, a detentplate 54, and a retainer plate 56. Anchor plate 52 is circular,essentially, planar, and has 58 through which shaft 42 passes, saidanchor plate being both rotatable and longitudinally movable withrespect to said shaft. Portions of said anchor plate are offsetforwardly to form a series of sharppointed forward projections 60arranged in a ring concentric with shaft 42, and a series ofcorresponding sockets 62 at the rearward face of said anchor plate.Detent plate 54 is also essentially flat and circular, having a squarecentral aperture 64 in which shaft 42 is slidably but nonrotatablyengaged. Said detent plate is provided at its forward face with a seriesof rounded detent projections 66 which are also arranged in a ringconcentric to shaft 42 and which engage sockets 62 of the anchor plate.Retainer plate 56 is also flat and circular, and is rigidly afiixed tothe rearward end of shaft 42 by a screw 68. Disposed between detentplate 54 and retainer plate 56 is a spring washer 70, which functions tourge said plates away from each other. As best shown in FIG. 3, it willbe seen that detent plate 54 is provided at its periphery with a lip 72which is turned rearwardly and then forwardly. Retainer plate 56 andspring washer 70 are enclosed in the rearwardly opening socket formed bysaid lip for the protection thereof, and the outer periphery of said lipis knurled, as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2, to provide a good finger gripwhereby said detent plate may be manually rotated. Anchor plate 52 isprovided at its periphery with a rearwardly turned lip 74 which projectswithin the lip 72 of detent plate 54 to inhibit the entry of dirt andthe like between said plates.

Spring washer 70 serves to urge detent plate 54 firmly against anchorplate 52 to hold detent projections 66 of the former in operativeengagement with sockets 62 of the latter, and also to urge anchor plate52 tightly against the outer surface of the rear wall of sleeve wherebysharp points 60 of the former are caused to indent sleeve 10 sharply, asshown in FIG. 3, whereby to secure said anchor plate against rotationrelative to the sleeve. The plastic material of which the sleeve isformed is sufficiently soft to be indented in this manner. A full ringof points 60 is provided on the anchor plate, in order that regardlessof the angular position of the anchor plate and regardless of the degreeof curvature to which sleeve 10 may be formed, there will always be twoor more points engaging said sleeve. Thus rotation of shaft 42 andpinion 38 is resisted yieldably by whatever rotative force is requiredto dislodge the rounded projections 66 of the detent plate from thesockets 62 of the anchor plate. This resistance to rotation of thepinion is sufliciently great that strap 4 may be drawn tightly enoughabout the wearers head to support any reasonable load imposed thereon bythe eye shade 12 or other apparatus to be carried thereby, and willretain this degree of tightness. However, suflicient additional torquemay be applied manually to detent plate 54, which may be termed a knob,to cam detent projections 66 out of sockets 62, whereby shaft 42 andpinion 38 may be rotated to adjust the effective circumference of thehead band.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention,it will be readily apparent that many minor changes of structure andoperation could be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An adjustable head band comprising:

(a) a flexible strap adapted to encircle the wearers head with the endportions thereof disposed in overlapping relation and having a pair ofcooperating longitudinally elongated slots formed respectively in saidend potrions, relatively opposite edges of said slots being toothed toform straight gear racks extending longitudinally of said strap,

(b) a flexible sleeve enclosing the overlapping end portions of saidstrap, said strap end portions being longitudinally slidable in saidsleeve,

(0) a gear pinion carried rotatably by said sleeve and disposed therein,the axis of said pinion being disposed generally radially to the loop ofsaid strap, said pinion being meshed at opposite sides thereof with therespective gear racks of said slots,

((1) a shaft aflixed to said pinion and extending axially therefrom to apoint external to said sleeve,

(e) an anchor plate carried for rotation and axial sliding movement onsaid shaft externally to said sleeve and normally to said shaft, saidanchor plate having a series of outwardly opening sockets formed thereinand arranged in a ring concentric with said shaft,

(f) means preventing rotation of said anchor plate relative to saidsleeve,

(g) a detent plate carried on said shaft outwardly from said anchorplate, said detent plate being axially slidable on said shaft butsecured against rotation thereon, and having a series of rounded inwardprojections formed thereon in coinciding relation to the sockets of saidanchor plate, said detent plate constituting a manually rotatable knob,and

(h) resilient means urging said detent plate toward and against saidanchor plate, whereby the projections of the former are engaged in thesockets of the latter to resist yieldably any relative rotation of saidplates.

2. An adjustable head band as recited in claim 1 wherein said sleeve isformed of relatively soft, indentable material, and wherein said meansfor preventing rotation of said anchor plate relative to said sleeveconstitutes a plurality of sharp projections formed on the surfacethereof adjacent said sleeve, said resilient means being operable toforce said sharp points into indenting relationship to said sleeve.

3. An adjustable head band as recited in claim 2 with the addition of aretainer plate affixed to said shaft in outwardly spaced relation fromsaid detent plate, said resilient means constiuting a compression springinterposed between said detent and retainer plates, whereby said detentplate is urged resiliently against saidanchor plate, and said anchorplate is urged against said sleeve.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1960 Edwards et al. 28 X 5/1963Bowers 2-8

1. AN ADJUSTABLE HEAD BAND COMPRISING: (A) A FLEXIBLE STRAP ADAPTED TOENCIRCLE THE WEARER''S HEAD WITH THE END PORTIONS THEREOF DISPOSED INOVERLAPPING RELATION AND HAVING A PAIR OF COOPERATING LONGITUDINALLYELONGATED SLOTS FORMED RESPECTIVELY IN SAID END PORTIONS RELATIVELYOPPOSITE EDGES OF SAID SLOTS BEING TOOTHED TO FORM STRAIGHT GEAR RACKSEXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID STRAP, (B) A FLEXIBLE SLEEVE ENCLOSINGTHE OVERLAPPING END PORTIONS OF SAID STRAP, SAID STRAP END PORTIONSBEING LONGITUDINALLY SLIDABLE IN SAID SLEEVE, (C) A GEAR PINION CARRIEDROTATABLY BY SAID SLEEVE AND DISPOSED THEREIN, THE AXIS OF SAID PINIONBEING DISPOSED GENERALLY RADIALLY TO THE LOOP OF SAID STRAP, SAID PINIONBEING MESHED AT OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF WITH THE RESPECTIVE GEAR RACKS OFSAID SLOTS, (D) A SHAFT AFFIXED TO SAID PINION AND EXTENDING AXIALLYTHEREFROM TO A POINT EXTERNAL TO SAID SLEEVE (E) AN ANCHOR PLATE CARRIEDFOR ROTATION AND AXIAL SLIDING MOVEMENT ON SAID SHAFT EXTERNALLY TO SAIDSLEEVE AND NORMALLY TO SAID SHAFT, SAID ANCHOR PLATE HAVING A SERIES OFOUTWARDLY OPENING SOCKETS FORMED THEREIN AND ARRANGED IN A RINGCONCENTRIC WITH SAID SHAFT, (F) MEANS PREVENTING ROTATION OF SAID ANCHORPLATE RELATIVE TO SAID SLEEVE, (G) A DETENT PLATE CARRIED ON SAID SHAFTOUTWARDLY FROM SAID ANCHOR PLATE, SAID DETENT PLATE BEING AXIALLYSLIDABLE ON SAID SHAFT BUT SECURED AGAINST ROTATION THEREON, AND HAVINGA SERIES OF ROUNDED INWARD PROJECTIONS FORMED THEREON IN COINCIDINGRELATION TO THE SOCKETS OF SAID ANCHOR PLATE, SAID DETENT PLATECONSTITUTING A MANUALLY ROTATABLE KNOB, AND (H) RESILIENT MEANS URGINGSAID DETENT PLATE TOWARD AND AGAINST SAID ANCHOR PLATE, WHEREBY THEPROJECTIONS OF THE FORMER ARE ENGAGED IN THE SOCKETS OF THE LATTER TORESIST YIELDABLY ANY RELATIVE ROTATION OF SAID PLATES.